Ukrainian defense company Fire Point is developing a low-cost air defense system as a potential domestic alternative to the US-made Patriot system, with plans to intercept its first ballistic missile by 2027, a senior executive told Reuters on Monday, April 6.
Denys Shtilierman, co-founder and chief designer of the company, said the system aims to reduce the cost of intercepting ballistic missiles to below $1 million.
“If we can decrease it to less than $1 million, it will be… a game changer in air defense solutions,” he said.
Alternative to Patriot, global demand
Ukraine and many other Western-aligned countries rely on the Patriot air defense system to intercept ballistic threats, but supplies have become increasingly constrained due to deployments in multiple conflict zones.
Europe’s SAMP/T system, jointly developed by Italy and France, is also produced in limited quantities.
Shtilierman said Fire Point is in talks with European partners to develop components such as radar, targeting systems, and communications, though he did not name specific companies.
He added that the company plans to base the system on its FP-7 missile platform.
Flamingo missile, battlefield experience
Founded after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Fire Point produces long-range attack drones and cruise missiles used in attacks on Russian military infrastructure.
Its FP5 cruise missile, known as the Flamingo, has been used to strike targets up to 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) inside Russia, according to Reuters.
The company is also developing two ballistic missiles, including the FP-7 with a range of about 300 kilometers (186 miles), and the FP-9, capable of carrying an 800-kilogram warhead up to 850 kilometers (528 miles).
Missile specialist Fabian Hoffmann said broader use of such systems could strain Russian air defenses, even if their effectiveness is lower than that of Patriot systems.
Investment plans, satellite ambitions
Shtilierman said the company is awaiting government approval for a potential $760 million investment from a Middle Eastern partner that would value Fire Point at $2.5 billion.
Ukrainian media have identified the investor as Emirati defense group Edge.
The deal could enable the development of a satellite launch project, including a space launch facility in the United Arab Emirates and a future constellation of low-orbit satellites.
The project remains at an early stage, though the company has already reached preliminary agreements with Western partners, Shtilierman said.
Exports, production capacity
Fire Point is also seeking government approval to export its drone systems, with a reported monthly production capacity of up to 2,500 long-range drones.
Each drone costs about €50,000 ($57,775) to produce, while Flamingo missiles cost around €600,000 ($693,000) apiece, according to the company.
Exports of missile systems face stricter regulatory barriers, Shtilierman said.
Earlier President Volodymyr Zelensky said that all Ukrainian-made “Flamingo” missiles launched at a Russian missile manufacturing plant on Feb. 21 reached their target. He said the missiles struck the Votkinsk Plant in Russia’s Udmurt Republic, west of the Ural Mountains and 1,068 kilometers (664 miles) east of Moscow.
A representative of its developer, Fire Point, has said the missile outperforms the US Tomahawk. Current versions are equipped with bunker-busting warheads capable of penetrating up to 10 meters (33 feet) of reinforced concrete.